Help needed with lazy pony

AFlapjack

AFlapjack

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I have recently started lunging pony. He is good at transitions both upwards and downwards but finds it incredibly difficult to keep the same rhythm, speed and impulsion in a specific gait.
I have tried 'clucking' at him but sound like a mad hen and obviously if I keep doing it he will just switch off. I've also had a go fluttering the lunge whip at him and he will repsond but only for a few strides.
He is a lazy laidback boy who unfortuantely can be difficult to get going at the best of times (when ridden) so I feel I am fighting a losing battle :(

Any tips, exercises or advice more than welcome to get him more responsive and forwards. :)


PS: please excuse any spelling mistakes I'm on family computer which doesn't have spellcheck downloaded on it :D
 
if you think he is just being lazy and there is nothing physically wrong with him, and he understands what you want, then i'd get after him a bit with the lunge whip, get lots of transitions going. mine can be lazy on the lunge so instead of clicking, flicking lunge i give it one good hard sharp crack (not on him by the way, just the noise!) and that gets him going, as soon as he becomes lazy i do it again!
 
Ditto give him one sharp 'oi wake up' and work on forwards thinking work, lots of transitions, direct transitions etc and maybe even invest in some spurs for every now and then to sharpen him up.

And review his feed, he could be lacking the right energy needed. Maybe add oats or other high energy feeds to him :)
 
Binky01 said:
Ditto give him one sharp 'oi wake up' and work on forwards thinking work, lots of transitions, direct transitions etc and maybe even invest in some spurs for every now and then to sharpen him up.

And review his feed, he could be lacking the right energy needed. Maybe add oats or other high energy feeds to him :)
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I was thinking of spurs but have never ridden in them before so wasn't sure how to ride in them, if that makes sense?

Funnily enough I have recently (as in a week or so) changed his feed to Topspec Lite Balancer & Topchop Lite (he is a fat & lazy pony :rolleyes: ) well he isn't overweight but is a very good, good do-er so I need to watch his weight. Is there a feed that could give him energy without him storing it as fat?

ETA: When I say changed his feed, I mean started feeding him a bucket feed.
 
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what equipment are you lungeing him in?

my lazy one is still pretty lazy most of the time so I dont have that many answers ;) :D
 
Maybe he doesn't see the point when on the lunge. I would ride him. Getting lazy ponies out of the habit you can use the "less is more" approach rather than spurs (the "more is more" approach). Keep legs off most of the time. Give quick couple of nudges for transition, if ignored give sharp smack with whip. Be persistent with this approach over several weeks. It takes time but works in the end.
 
dreamcometrue said:
Maybe he doesn't see the point when on the lunge. I would ride him. Getting lazy ponies out of the habit you can use the "less is more" approach rather than spurs (the "more is more" approach). Keep legs off most of the time. Give quick couple of nudges for transition, if ignored give sharp smack with whip. Be persistent with this approach over several weeks. It takes time but works in the end.
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Sorry I missed your post.

Thank you for the advice. I do try and not kick, kick, kick but then we end up walking along at a snails pace and so end up nudging him along quite often but we keep up the pace, if that makes sense? :o

I think naturally he has very slow paces and I'm used to very wizzy ponies so feel like we're going 0 mph when he's actually probably walking at a good speed.
 
Lunging wise, does he like jumping? If so maybe get his interest by lunging over jumps? Also if you're in a standard rectangular school and you have it all to yourself, take him off a circle and run down the long sides with him every so often - just keep him guessing as to what's coming next ;)

In terms of riding: I use small, blunt spurs which have helped a lot. Be very firm, ask nicely once, then back up with your whip. Use your voice as well, perhaps do a few short schooling sessions totally with your voice, don't use your legs at all (back up your voice commands with your whip if you need to). I also find transitions within a pace wake my very lazy pony up a lot (he loves doing his attempts at medium trot!). Allow any forward movement, even if you kicked on for a faster walk and got trot, let him trot for a little bit before bringing him back to walk with your legs on to try to get the faster walk.

For his feed, bear in mind with a good doer that if he is gaining weight, he already has more calories than he needs and therefore energy from feed is unlikely to be your issue, so when changing feeds monitor weight regularly. Make sure he is getting a vitamin supplement so he's getting his full complement of vits and mins.

Lastly, if he has a really bad lazy day, give up and go for a hack instead!!
 
bex1984 said:
Lunging wise, does he like jumping? If so maybe get his interest by lunging over jumps? Also if you're in a standard rectangular school and you have it all to yourself, take him off a circle and run down the long sides with him every so often - just keep him guessing as to what's coming next ;)

In terms of riding: I use small, blunt spurs which have helped a lot. Be very firm, ask nicely once, then back up with your whip. Use your voice as well, perhaps do a few short schooling sessions totally with your voice, don't use your legs at all (back up your voice commands with your whip if you need to). I also find transitions within a pace wake my very lazy pony up a lot (he loves doing his attempts at medium trot!). Allow any forward movement, even if you kicked on for a faster walk and got trot, let him trot for a little bit before bringing him back to walk with your legs on to try to get the faster walk.

For his feed, bear in mind with a good doer that if he is gaining weight, he already has more calories than he needs and therefore energy from feed is unlikely to be your issue, so when changing feeds monitor weight regularly. Make sure he is getting a vitamin supplement so he's getting his full complement of vits and mins.

Lastly, if he has a really bad lazy day, give up and go for a hack instead!!
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Thanks for the reply :) He does like his jumping so will give that a go & will try trotting down the long side with him too.
 
Can you lunge using two reins? This is what I do when I lunge my lazy cob and it's easier to stir her into trot than with one line.
 
What is your purpose in lungeing? I don't mean that snidely - it's just that a lot of times people lunge because they think they ought to be lungeing but they don't really have a plan or a goal with it. With a lazy pony, I'd be less apt to lunge unless there's a specific lesson I want him to learn because it's one more thing for him to be lazy about.

As for riding, when you're at a walk give him a good nudge with alternate legs as his front leg comes back. So when his near fore comes back, give a good nudge with your left leg. Then as the off fore comes back, give a nudge with your right. Find the rhythm of it and keep it up until he increases his gait. As soon as he does, stop doing it - that's the reward. If he slacks off, start it up again. It gets tiresome but it does work and eventually most horses will respond to it quickly and pick up the pace.
 
baymareb said:
What is your purpose in lungeing? I don't mean that snidely - it's just that a lot of times people lunge because they think they ought to be lungeing but they don't really have a plan or a goal with it. With a lazy pony, I'd be less apt to lunge unless there's a specific lesson I want him to learn because it's one more thing for him to be lazy about.
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No problem :) I've been advised to start using the EquiAmi aid when lunging because he needs muscling up along his back and hindquarters. Also I lunge him during the winter because I don't have lots of free time during the week, have limited turnout, so he is stabled and needs exercising!
 
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